Toyota Hilux breaks the Canning Stock Route

By Toby Hagon, 18 Jul 2016Road Tests

4X4 Australia puts the ‘Unbreakable Hilux’ to the test on one of Australia’s most gruelling tracks.

AFTER we asked our readers for suggestions of where we should put the Toyota Hilux to the test, we chose the Canning Stock Route through the remote centre of Western Australia.

The Canning Stock Route follows an ancient track that was once used to move mobs of cattle south through WA’s dry heartland to Perth. It’s one of the most remote tracks in the world and its rugged, unyielding terrain will put any vehicle to the test. It’s a renowned car-breaker, so what better place to test the so-called ‘Unbreakable Hilux’.

To make life even tougher on this SR5 double-cab Hilux, we used it as the support vehicle for a group of other cars. It was loaded up with a 400-litre fuel tank in its tray, plus spare tyres and most of the camping gear for trip members. We were going to work the blue ute hard.

The Hilux was bone-stock, right down to its showroom tyres. In fact, Toyota refused to give us spare shock absorbers for the trip, telling us we wouldn’t need them. It turns out they were right, as the car didn’t put a foot wrong during the entire 1600km stretch of the CSR. It even went on to take the party to Broome in the west, before taking on the Gibb River Road heading back to Darwin!

A sound test for any vehicle, and one the Hilux passed with flying colours.